Presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore revisited the subjects of educational vouchers, Middle East violence and outreach to minorities, in their third and final televised debate held Tuesday, Oct. 17, at Washington University in St. Louis.

The debate began on a somber note as Vice President Gore and Texas Gov. Bush both began their presentations with words of condolences to Missouri residents whose governor, Mel Carnahan, died in an airplane crash along with his son and chief of staff the day before. 

The Town Hall format of the debate enabled ordinary voters chosen by the Commission on Presidential Debates to pose questions to the two candidates. Angie Pettig wanted to know if besides making teachers and schools accountable for students' grades whether parents also should be held to high standards.

"I wish I knew the law because I would darn sure sign it," Bush replied. "I wish I knew the law that said all of us would be good parents.. ... I think parents will be more involved with education when they know their children's classrooms are safe and secure .... I also believe that we need to say to people that if you cannot meet standards, there has to be a consequence. Instead of ...the soft bigotry of low expectations, there has to be a consequence. We can't continue to shuffle children through school. And one of the consequences (should be) to allow parents to have different choices."

Gore said he and Bush had a "huge difference" on this issue. "Governor Bush is for vouchers. And in his plan he proposes to drain more money, more taxpayer money out of the public schools for private schools than all of the money that he proposes in his entire budget for public schools themselves. And only one in 20 students would be eligible for these vouchers, and they wouldn't even pay the full tuition to private school. I think that's a mistake. I don't think we should give up on the public schools and leave kids trapped in failing schools. .. I think we should make it the number one priority to make our schools the best in the world, all of them."

Moderator Jim Lehrer of the Public Broadcasting System invited Bush to respond. "First of all, vouchers are up to the states," the Republican presidential candidate said. "If you want a voucher program in Missouri, fine. I strongly believe in local control of schools...I've said to the extent we send federal money for disadvantaged children, we want the schools to show us whether or not the children are learning. What's unreasonable about that? We expect there to be standards met and we expect there to be measurement. And if we find success we'll praise it. But when we find children trapped in schools that will not change and will not teach....there has to be a consequence. And the consequence is that federal portion or federal money will go to the parent (for) a tutoring program or another public school or another private school..."

Gore, the Democratic nominee for president, said under Bush's plan it wouldn't be just federal money that would go to the parents. "States would be required to pay vouchers to students to match the vouchers that the federal government would put up," he said. "Under my plan, if a school is failing, we work with the states to give them the authority and the resources to close down that school and reopen right away with a new principal, a new faculty, a turn-around team of specialists who know what they're doing. Its based on the plan of Governor Jim Hunt in North Carolina, and it works great."

Later during the candidates' 90-minute meeting, voter David Norwood asked "what would make you the best candidate in office during the Middle East crisis?"

Bush responded "I've been a leader. I've been a person who has to set a clear vision and convince people to follow. I've got a strategy for the Middle East. And first let me say that our nation now needs to speak with one voice during this time, and I applaud the President for working hard to diffuse tensions.

"Our nation needs to be credible and strong," Bush continued. "When we say we're somebody's friend, everybody has got to believe it. Israel is our friend and we'll stand by Israel. We need to reach out to moderate Arab nations as well to build coalitions to keep the peace. ... The next leader needs to be patient. We can't put the Middle East peace process on our timetable. It's got to be on the timetable of the people that we're trying to bring to the peace table. We can't dictate the terms of peace, which means that you have to be steady....

"(Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein still is a threat in the Middle East. Our coalition against Saddam is unraveling. Sanctions are loosened. The man may be developing weapons of mass destruction; we don't know because inspectors aren't in."

Gore responded he foresees a time when "the world is at peace, with the United States of America promoting the values of democracy and human rights and freedom all around the world. Even in Iran they have had an election that began to bring about change. We stand for those values and we have to be willing to assert them."

Stressing his experience in foreign affairs, Gore said that he had served on active duty in the military in Vietnam, had been a member of the Intelligence Committee in the House of Representatives and the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. Senate, and has been a member of the National Security Council in his two terms as Vice President.

His time to answer having elapsed, Gore continued discussing the Middle East after another questioner, Kenneth Allen, asked whether the U.S. military is being stretched thinner and thinner. Gore said that he had suspended campaigning for two days to help President Bill Clinton fashion his role at the Sharm el Sheikh conference which attempted to hammer out a cease fire agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Our country's team over there did a great job," Gore said. "It's a difficult situation. The United States has to be strong in order to make sure we can promote peace and security and stability. ...We are the strongest military, but we need to continue improving readiness and making sure that our military personnel are adequately paid..."

When Bush's turn came, he said: "Your question was deployment. It must be in the national interest, must be in our vital interest whether we ever send troops. The mission must be clear. Soldiers must understand why we're going. The force must be strong enough so that the mission can be accomplished. And the exit strategy needs to be well-defined. I'm concerned that we're overdeployed around the world."

Voter Norma Curby asked the candidates how they would address diversity, inclusiveness and affirmative action in their administrations.

Bush said he had a record of "bringing people from all walks of life into my administration, and my administration is better off for it in Texas. ... I want a diverse administration; I think it's important. I've worked hard in the state of Texas to make sure our institutions reflect the state with good, smart policy. Policy that rejects quotas. I don't like quotas. Quotas tend to pit one group of people against another. Quotas are bad for America. It's not what America is all about."

The Texas governor added tht he favors "policies that give people a helping hand so they can help themselves. For example, in our State of Texas I worked with the Legislature, both Republicans and Democrats, to pass a law that said if you come in the top 10 percent of your high school class, you're automatically admitted to one of our higher institutions of learning, college. And as a result, our universities are now more diverse.... I labeled it 'affirmative access.' I think the contracting business in government can help... The contracts needs to be smaller, the agencies ... need to recruit and to work hard to find people to bid on state contracts.... I'll have an administration that will make you proud."

Gore responded that "our future as a nation depends upon whether or not we can break down these barriers that have been used to pit group against group, and bring our people together. How do you do it? Well, you establish respect for the differences. You don't ignore differences. It's all too easy for somebody in the majority in the population to say 'oh, we're just all the same,' without an understanding of the different life experience that you've had and others have had. Once you have that understanding and mutual respect, then we can transcend the differences and embrace the highest common denominator of the American spirit. 

"I don't know what 'affirmative access' means," continued Gore. "I do know what 'affirmative action' means. I know the governor is against it and I know that I'm for it. I know what a hate crime statute pending at the national level is all about in the aftermath of James Byrd's death. I'm for that proposed law, the governor is against it. " Byrd. an African American, was dragged to death behind a car driven by white supremists who later were convicted of his murder. Two were sentenced to death by a Texas jury; one other received life imprisonment. 

"I know what it means to have a commitment to diversity," Gore continued. "I am part of an administration that has the finest record on diversity. ... I'm against quotas. That is, with all due respect, governor, that's a red herring. 'Affirmative action' isn't quotas. I'm against quotas. They're illegal. They're against the American way. 'Affirmative action' means that you take extra steps to acknowledge the history of discrimination and injustice and prejudice and bring all people into the American dream because it helps everybody, not just those who are directly benefitting."

Asked by moderator Lehrer if he truly were against affirmative action, Bush responded: "If affirmative action means quotas, I'm against it. If affirmative action means what I just described what I'm for, then I'm for it. You heard what I was for. The vice president keeps saying I'm against things. You heard what I was for, and that's what I support."

Gore at that point addressed Bush directly: "Affirmative action doesn't mean quotas. Are you for it without quotas?"

The Texas governor replied: "I may not be for your version, Mr. Vice President, but I'm for what I just described to the lady."

Gore, pressing, asked another question of Bush -- despite rules of the debate that prohibited direct questioning. "Are you for what the Supreme Court says is a constitutional way of having affirmative action?

Bush looked to Lehrer to enforce the rules, and Lehrer said it was time to move on.

"I think that speaks for itself," said Gore.

"No, it doesn't speak for itself, Mr. Vice President," Bush replied. "It speaks for the fact that there are certain rules in this that we all agree to, but evidently rules don't mean anything."

That was one of the testiest exchanges in the spirited debate.